Hearthstone players are being targeted by malware creeps

In the Old West, cheating at cards was a good way to get gunned down in the street. While it won’t get you shot, cheating at Hearthstone does come with a more modern set of risks.

According to Symantec, malware distributors have begun targeting Hearthstone players with Trojanized downloads. Predictably, they’re being dangled as cheat and hack tools. Anyone trying to use the tools to boost their decks or pocket some quick gold or dust is getting more than they’ve bargained for.

Symantec says that the tools are infected with malware that’s designed to hijack cryptocurrency payments. When the malware detects that a Bitcoin address has been copied to the clipboard, it swaps that address with one that routes the funds to its criminal controller.

Other malware has been found lurking inside deck tracking apps. Players use these in order to sneak a peek at the cards they haven’t played yet. While that might give you an advantage when you’re squaring off against an opponent, it could also give criminals backdoor access to your PC. In December, Symantec spied malicious software masquerading as Hearthstone Deck Tracker.exe. Among its capabilities: logging keystrokes, recording from a webcam, and stealing passwords. Not exactly a good exchange to make for a few more victories.

Symantec also identified a third potential threat: bot software. Blizzard obviously frowns upon the use of bots, and they’ve brought the hammer down on players who have utilized them before. A ban is bad enough, but receiving a ban and giving hackers easy access to your data? That’s a downright wicked one-two punch.